SIBLINGS

When I met up with an old dear friend the other day, I brought Nikki along with me. Ethan was having his nap and since I didn't want to bring a cranky baby with us, I thought it best that we leave him behind. My friend and I decided to have our get-together at a family restaurant so that the kids could play on the swings and slides. While chatting now and then, I was observing Nikki closely. I noticed that although he was surrounded by kids, he was not as active as the times he was with Ethan. When we went to that family restaurant (we go there almost every week) I noticed that he would be running around, he would be sliding non-stop, and be playing a sort-of race with Ethan on who would be the first to climb the stairs to the slide. But that day, he just sat on one of the swings and just played with the soil around the area. Every once in a while, he would ask me if we were going home. I suppose he missed Ethan. I really thought that he would be having more fun since Ethan won't be around to bug him or he would have time on his own. Apparently, I was wrong. So, I called my dad and asked him to pick Nikki up because I could tell that he was not having fun any more. As I was thinking about this, I realized that this was another benefit to homeschooling. In an article I posted earlier, it said that "homeschooling fosters a strong sibling relationship". I suppose it's true. In another article, further benefits include: ability to teach and encourage younger siblings and more time together to build a strong family and good Christian character. Don't you just love it? Now I know that even if my 2 boys quarrel from time to time, they still can't live without each other. It's really a wonderful thought that despite their differences in personality they still appreciate each other. Hopefully, as we continue to homeschool, not only will they learn to live with each other but they will also learn to accept their differences and uniqueness.